Issue 484 October 1st 2025

The Headlines

Frank Lloyd Wright: The Movie

A feature film about legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright may finally be in the works. Despite his status as one of the most influential American architects, Wright has never been the subject of a major Hollywood biopic — a gap that Galisteo Media, in partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, is now aiming to fill.

The film will focus on a pivotal chapter in Wright’s life: his 1920s move to Los Angeles, following the 1914 Taliesin murders, in which his mistress and six others were killed. This tragic event served as a turning point, leading him to a period of architectural reinvention and innovation, particularly through his concrete block homes that influenced a national design trend.

Galisteo Media is helmed by Rob Rosenheck and Cindy Capobianco, cannabis entrepreneurs and owners of the iconic Ennis House, a Wright-designed residence in L.A. Their deep connection to Wright’s work and background in film (they produced the 2024 documentary Lover of Men) sparked their interest in developing the biopic.

In July, Galisteo secured exclusive rights from the Foundation to produce content about Wright’s life, initially focusing on his transformative years in L.A. Foundation president Joseph Specter supports the deal as part of a broader strategy to engage new audiences through media and storytelling.

Development of the project is underway, with Galisteo meeting with potential writers, directors, and actors. Rosenheck says there’s widespread interest in finally telling Wright’s complex story — one filled with ambition, tragedy, and groundbreaking creativity.

Grant Will Fund Restoration Work At Wright's Cedar Rock

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house at Cedar Rock State Park in Quasqueton, Iowa will undergo some repairs and restoration thanks to a grant provided by the Iowa Historical Resource Development Program.

The $50,000 grant, awarded to the Friends of Cedar Rock, will fund masonry work and wall restoration at the house, which was built in 1950. Specifically, the project will focus on the repair and replacement of the retaining wall that welcomes visitors to the property, as well as repairs to the masonry of the house and concrete walkways and patios.

The project is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 30, 2027.

Cedar Rock was designed by famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who was commissioned by Lowell and Agnes Walter to design a three-season home on a parcel of land along the Wapsipinicon River. In addition to the home, Wright designed the furniture, selected carpets, chose the draperies and picked out the accessories. He also designed a two-story boat house on the property.

"We are incredibly excited and grateful to receive this HRDP grant," said Kathryn Hund, manager of Cedar Rock State Park. "This funding is crucial for maintaining the integrity of this significant historical site and ensuring it remains accessible for future generations to enjoy."

The Historical Resource Development Program, administered by the State Historical Society of Iowa, provides competitive grants to support projects that preserve, conserve, interpret, and share Iowa’s historical resources.

The grants are funded through an annual appropriation from the Iowa Legislature to the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program.

The public is invited to tour Cedar Rock, which is owned by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. 3 p.m. The last day for tours this year is Sunday, Oct. 12.

A guided evening tour of Cedar Rock will be available Sept. 24, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., covering the house and the surrounding grounds.

To make a tour reservation, call 319-934-3572, or email cedar_rock@dnr.iowa.gov.

For more information, visit www.friendsofcedarrock.org.

Chicago Street Named In Honor Of Prairie School Architect Dwight Perkins

In 1994, beat cop Shaun Fleischhacker noticed the striking architecture of Schurz High School while working in Chicago, Illinois' Albany Park district. Designed by Prairie School architect Dwight H. Perkins in 1910, the school’s beauty inspired Fleischhacker to study Perkins' work. Surprised that nothing in the city honored Perkins, Fleischhacker proposed an honorary street naming in his honor.

After 31 years of persistence, his efforts paid off. In October 2025, a four-block stretch of Milwaukee Avenue near Schurz High School will be designated Dwight H. Perkins Way.

Perkins, often overshadowed by Frank Lloyd Wright, was a pioneering architect who designed 40 public schools in Chicago, emphasizing natural light, ventilation, and functional spaces — revolutionary ideas at the time. He also helped establish the Cook County Forest Preserves and designed other iconic buildings like the Lincoln Park Zoo Lion House and Café Brauer.

Despite his contributions, Perkins was controversially fired from his role as Chicago’s chief school architect, largely due to political opposition to his preference for brick and terra-cotta over cut stone.

Fleischhacker, who infused his police career with a love of local history, helped bring overdue recognition to Perkins. The honorary street naming joins a short list of Chicago tributes to historic architects and reflects the city’s ongoing effort to preserve and celebrate its rich architectural heritage.

Sharing Memories Of Frank Lloyd Wright

Join Wright in Kankakee for Plaques & Perspectives, a plaque rededication event in memory of Stephen Small, the former owner of the B. Harley Bradley House in Kankakee, Illinois’ Riverview Historic District.

From 3-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, the public is invited to visit the historic home at 701 S. Harrison Ave., to hear remarks from three renowned architects: John Eifler, Gaines Hall and Bob Bohlmann.

John Eifler served as the project architect for the restoration of the Charnley House, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan in 1892. Small retained Eifler as a historical preservation architect when he began restoring the facilities.

Gaines Hall is a local architect who formerly owned the Bradley House and restored it with his wife, Sharon.

Bob Bohlmann is the current executive director of Wright in Kankakee. In the 1970s and 1980s, Bohlmann worked with Small and his family, and he will share the positive effects of Small’s work and the impact he still has on the Bradley House.

The free event is an opportunity to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s first prairie-style home while enjoying refreshments. This event is part of a year-long series of events celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Bradley House.

Reservations are encouraged.

For more information on the Bradley House and Wright in Kankakee, visit wright1900.org. Wright in Kankakee is a nonprofit organization that preserves, maintains and celebrates the Bradley House.

Building On The Legacy Of Frank Lloyd Wright

Dan Erdman (UW–Madison ’80, Exec MBA ’99) has honored his family's deep connection to architect Frank Lloyd Wright by endowing the first-ever Frank Lloyd Wright Professorship in Modern American Architecture at University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Department of Art History. The position, held for three years, has been awarded to Professor Anna Andrzejewski, a scholar of vernacular architecture and former department chair.

Dan’s father, Marshall Erdman, was a close friend and collaborator of Wright, starting with his work on the First Unitarian Meeting House in 1949. That project launched Erdman’s successful career, eventually leading to his company becoming a national leader in healthcare design-build. Dan grew up attending events at Taliesin, Wright’s home, and later pursued studies in art and architecture, influenced by that early exposure.

Professor Andrzejewski plans to use the role to deepen public engagement and academic study of Wright, focusing on his ties to Madison, his students, and themes like affordable housing and sustainable architecture. She also aims to revisit the impact of a pivotal 1988 Wright exhibit in Madison that helped revive interest in his legacy.

The new professorship aligns with the 100th Anniversary of the Art History Department and is supported by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which is working with UW–Madison to expand student opportunities at Taliesin through residencies, research, and exhibitions.

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